The Centre on Thursday released the official questionnaire for the first phase of Census 2027, detailing the information that households across the country will be required to provide. The first phase will include a 33-point questionnaire focusing mainly on housing conditions and basic household facilities.
The questions cover a wide range of aspects such as the type and condition of the house, ownership status, availability of drinking water, lighting, toilets, kitchen and LPG connections, internet access, electronic appliances, vehicles owned and the type of food consumed by the household.
Census 2027 will be conducted in two phases. The first phase, called the Houselisting and Housing Census, will be carried out from April 1 to September 30, 2026, across all states and Union Territories. The second phase, Population Enumeration, is scheduled for February 2027. The detailed questionnaire for the second phase will be released separately.
As per the questionnaire released for Phase I, enumerators will collect information related to the building and census house number, materials used for the floor, walls and roof, the use and condition of the house, and household size. Details about the head of the household, including gender and social category, will also be recorded.
The survey will further gather data on access to drinking water, electricity, sanitation facilities, waste water outlets, bathing and kitchen facilities, and the type of fuel used for cooking. Households will also be asked about ownership of items such as radios, televisions, computers, mobile phones, bicycles, two-wheelers and cars.
In addition, information on internet access, the main cereal consumed in the household and a mobile number for census-related communication will be collected. Officials clarified that the mobile number will be used only for census purposes.
The government said the data collected during the first phase will help build a comprehensive picture of housing and living conditions across the country ahead of the population count in 2027.